Another Nuclear Wal-Mart?

The United States believes Al Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri are hiding in the rocky terrains of northwestern tribal areas of Pakistan and are attempting to establish an operational base there. Pakistan is trying hard to get the US and allies to ‘differentiate’ between the Taliban and Al Qaeda and to negotiate with the Taliban. USA has been perennially worried about dirty bombs getting into Al Qaeda’s hand. Now Zee News reports that the Taliban has kidnapped two Pakistani nuclear scientists.

Two top nuclear scientists of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) are currently in Taliban custody. The two were working at PAEC’s facility in North West Frontier Province. Zee News investigations reveal that the two scientists were kidnapped about six months ago. To avoid international embarrassment Pakistan Government has kept this information under wraps. According to information available with Zee News, nuclear scientists have been kidnapped by Taliban at the behest of Al-Qaeda. Further investigations reveal that Al-Qaeda may be using the expertise of the scientists to produce nuclear bombs. The two scientists are reportedly being held somewhere in Waziristan, near Afghanistan border. In January this year Pakistan security agencies had foiled another attempt by Taliban militia to kidnap nuclear scientists. Earlier, incidents of Taliban militia stealing uranium in NWFP have already been reported. PAEC also has a uranium mining facility in NWFP. With repeated Al Qaeda threats to the US, news of kidnapping of nuclear scientists will increase pressure on Pakistan to attack terrorist camps.

These Pakistani scientists must have been kidnapped to assist the out of work nuclear scientists from the CIS countries who probably are already hired and working for Al Qaeda.